On the giant electronic billboards in Times Square, dazzling advertisements for commercial brands were replaced by a meticulously edited video montage playing on a loop—the magnificent power of Sandman Flint Marko controlling a sandstorm to engulf a "road rage mecha," the serene stillness of The Silent Heart Master settling the world with a single word, Spider-Man Peter Parker's agile and nimble movements (though a bit disheveled) as he swung between buildings, and even the shocking, magic-like cleanup of the battlefield by the Logistics Department.
The background music was stirring, finally freezing on the Hero Association's simple blue emblem, with a striking slogan below: "Guardians of Order, Right By Your Side!"
This was not an official advertisement from the Association, but a spontaneous trend driven by public enthusiasm.
The Hero Association, an organization born amidst controversy, after successfully handling several crises and demonstrating its professionalism and efficiency, finally began to gain its first truly fervent supporters.
This trend first created waves online.
A fan club named "Sandstorm Guardians" quietly formed on various social media platforms and quickly attracted hundreds of thousands of members.
They collected and organized all video footage of Sandman Flint Marko's missions (primarily officially released and authorized media clips), made cool mixed-cut videos, analyzed his combat techniques, and some even tried to reconstruct his calm and resolute facial contours based on his limited public appearances (though without success).
Fans designed slogans for him: "Rage of Sand, Shield of Protection!" and various chibi Sandman emojis.
Immediately after, the "Silent Speakers Alliance" also announced its formation.
The style of this fan group was exactly like their idol—low-key, reserved, yet full of power.
They admired The Silent Heart Master's strength, which heard thunder in silence, and were fascinated by his mysterious silver mask and concise (or rather, silent) style.
They shared their self-perceived "meditation" techniques learned from The Silent Heart Master online (though mostly self-conceived) and firmly resisted any attempts to dig into The Silent Heart Master's true identity, considering it a desecration of "silent mastery."
Their slogan was: "If the heart is still, what can the wind do?"
Even Spider-Man Peter Parker, who had just joined the Association and whose debut was a bit of a "social death" embarrassment, quickly acquired his own "Web Weavers" fan club.
His fan base was clearly younger and more entertainment-oriented.
They were keen on making compilations of Spider-Man's "mouth cannon" moments (though official Association releases rarely included these), discussing the material of his red and blue suit and the principles of his web-shooters (and arguing endlessly about it), and even turned videos of him awkwardly escaping after being mobbed by fans into various meme materials, with captions like: "Cute, want to feed points!"
Their slogan carried both teasing and affection: "Your friendly neighborhood, also your wage earner!"
The activities of these fan groups were not limited to online spaces.
When Sandman Flint Marko finished an outdoor mission and discreetly returned to the Association headquarters, he was surprised to find dozens of young people gathered at the building's entrance, holding homemade signs and light boards.
Seeing Sandman Flint Marko appear, they immediately let out excited screams and cheers.
"Sandman! Look here!"
"Sandstorm Guardians will always support you!"
"Can you sign for me? Just sign on… sign on my hat!"
Flint Marko was stunned.
He was used to fighting, used to training, and even used to the internal management system of the Association, but this scene of being enthusiastically surrounded by ordinary people like a celebrity was something he had never imagined.
He was a bit at a loss, looking at those young faces full of anticipation and adoration, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He took the pen and clumsily, forcefully wrote his codename "Sandsman" on the brim of the baseball cap.
That fan was so excited he almost jumped.
This scene was captured by other fans and quickly spread across the internet, with "Sandman's First Autograph" becoming a trending topic.
The Association's public relations department keenly caught onto this, and at Wesley's instruction, not only did not stop it, but began to provide some vetted, non-confidential hero promotional materials and itineraries (such as public patrol areas) to several core fan groups in a limited and guided manner.
The Silent Heart Master Lin, as always, "ignored" all of this.
No matter how fans waited at locations where he might appear, he always appeared and disappeared silently, as if merging into the shadows, leaving no ripple.
This sense of mystery, where "what you can't have always stirs," made his fan base even more loyal and fervent.
And Spider-Man Peter Parker experienced a mix of emotions in this sudden attention.
On one hand, the young man deep inside him who longed for recognition indeed felt a hint of secret joy and satisfaction from having fans; but on the other hand, Aunt Mei's warnings and the risk of his identity being exposed made him extremely uneasy about this attention.
He had to choose his routes and mission handover points more carefully to avoid getting caught in the predicament of being watched again.
He even began to study the "Image Management" chapter in the Association handbook, trying to learn how to interact with the public more "professionally."
This trend of hero idolization naturally attracted the attention of various forces.
At S.H.I.E.L.D., Director Fury looked at the report on the Association's hero fan groups, a shadow flashing in his single eye.
"Idolization… this means deeper public recognition and emotional bonding," he said to Hill.
"Kingpin is not just building a force; he is shaping symbols, he is vying for public support.
We cannot let this continue; our 'Lighthouse' project must accelerate."
Inside the Stark Industries tower, Tony Stark looked at the comparison video on his tablet, made by the "Web Weavers" fan group, about his "Iron Monger battle" getting beaten and Spider-Man Peter Parker's "EMP assist," and was so angry he almost threw the tablet again.
"Fan groups? Just because they used some clever little gadgets?" Tony Stark said indignantly to Jarvis.
"Jarvis, analyze for me, what budget is needed to establish an 'Iron Man Fan Club'? I want their servers to be crashed by our fans!"
And some traditional media personalities and social commentators expressed concern about this, writing in their columns: "Will the entertainment and idolization of crisis response forces make the public overlook the risks and seriousness behind them? When heroes become products of the fan economy, will their decisions be swayed by public opinion?"
Facing the external commotion, the Association's internal management remained unusually calm.
Wesley reported the latest progress of the fan phenomenon to Kingpin: "…Overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
It has enhanced the heroes' public image and the Association's approachability, subtly increasing public identification with and tolerance for the Association.
As long as properly guided, these fan groups can become an important supplementary force for our public opinion front."
Kingpin stood by the window, overlooking the city, his gaze deep and inscrutable.
"Control the scale," he commanded in a low voice.
"Heroes can be role models, they can be symbols, but they cannot become entertainers who merely please the public.
All propaganda and interactions must serve the Association's core objectives—establishing order and asserting authority."
What he needed were "Guardians" who were respected, even revered, not "celebrities" for public entertainment.
"Understood," Wesley bowed.
"We will formulate more detailed 'Hero Public Image Management Guidelines' to ensure everything is within controllable limits."
The heroes of the Hero Association, unknowingly, had been pushed into the spotlight of the era.
They had gained power, received compensation, and now, they had welcomed admirers.
The cheers and light boards of fans, like sweet shackles, while bringing glory and recognition, also began to subtly influence the heroes' mindsets and future choices.
This path of a professional hero was more complex, and more… attention-grabbing, than any of them had imagined.